LIVE REVIEW: Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac, including John McVie on Bass, left, Stevie NIcks singing, Mick Fleetwood on drums and Lindsey Buckingham on guitar. [DANIEL WALLACE | Times] Click photo to enlarge.

TAMPA –- When Christine McVie ditched Fleetwood Mac in 1998, the piano-playing songbird took with her any semblance of levity that existed in the bed-hopping, turmoil-tossing band. She made loving fun; the rest of ’em made loving sound like a knife fight.

The remaining quartet, which played the St. Pete Times Forum on Wednesday, is now built solely on headstrong, prickly pieces: the steady apathy of bassist John McVie, the googly-eyed madness of warlockian drummer Mick Fleetwood, the beautifully broken mysticism of singer Stevie Nicks (left), the winning petulance of guitar virtuoso Lindsey Buckingham. (Click to enlarge photo)

"As many of you know, Fleetwood Mac has had a complex and convoluted emotional history," Buckingham told the tidy, intense crowd of 10,008 fans. But for this tour, he added, they "just wanted to go out and have fun."

Fun is a relative term when most of your shattered-sunset songs are about how much you once despised the person next to you. For a good part of five decades, the Mac has been dysfunctionally functional. Even though all but one member is now in their 60s, those crazy kids are still working out their junk onstage. That said, they're also really good at their jobs

For two-plus hours and 23 songs, Buckingham and Nicks traded hits, verses and curious looks, as the beatmakers behind them kept the heat on. Although the singers were separated onstage, overhead video screens were split to simultaneously show both, almost as if they were smooching.

For her "Sara," Nicks started on one microphone, but wandered over to Buckingham's, finally resting her head on his shoulder. The crowd went bonkers: a great tune and a soap opera all in one!

In the night's hottest moment, Buckingham performed a solo acoustic version of "Big Love," his fastest-fingers flying, a baroque frenzy of licks and hubba-hubba frustration. After that, Nicks came back for "Landslide," the end of which she spent staring into her former flame's eyes: "And I'm getting older, too."

There have been reports that Nicks, 60, has been less-than-lucid on this tour. But although she looked half-lidded, her voice was a wounded-bird marvel. With her long blond hair flowing, she busted out the twirly dance for "Stand Back." She did a bizarro shadow thingie for the sexy thunder of "Gold Dust Woman." Nicks was great -- loopy and possibly possessed, but great. 

For all the rarities they dusted off ("Storms," "I Know I'm Not Wrong," "Oh Well"), the band made sure to also play the ones you warbled on the way to work this morning: "Rhiannon," "Gypsy," "The Chain." Although she was certainly missed, Christine McVie was honored with just one tune: "Say You Love Me."

If there were any concern that well-worns such as "Don't Stop" and "Go Your Own Way" have lost oomph due to ubiquity, Buckingham took care of that with a fluorish, putting liquid, hair-raising solos into each.

The Mac closed with "Silver Springs," a B-side from 1977's combative "Rumours" album. The song sounds gentle, nice, hopeful. Maybe it made sense to leave it off that warring album. But 32 years later, it's appropriate to bring it back. Give them time, and these crazy kids might figure things out after all.

Comments

[Jake]

I absolutely loved this concert! I remember Stevie missing her part in "Don't Stop" but it didn't really bother me, it almost exited me knowing that they were really live, and it wasn't lip syncing... It was a awesome concert, and I loved every minute of it...

[buffy Isaacs]

I was there in Tampa as well and loved every second. I thought Stevie was great. I would go again tomorrow if they would come back. What a show and especially at their ages!! Sorry for above.

[buffy Isaacs]

s

[Leo]

Silver Springs was actually Stevie's version of Go Your Own Way and it should absolutely have been on the original version of the Rumours. The one song that really does not fit on that "warring album" would be Songbird by Christine.

[Stella]

Does the reviewer actually know what "Silver Springs" is about? It is an intense, angry, bitter song - a masterpiece, and anything but 'gentle, nice, hopeful'. Also, Christine McVie was actually 'honored' with three of her songs: "Say You Love Me", "Don't Stop", and "World Turning". The writer of this article should really do his homework.

[Marina Cassandra]

I had an amazing time. Although only 15 I am a giant fan of fleetwood mac. I managed to score a spot against the stage and had the best time I've ever had, and recieved lindsey's guitar pick he was playing with during gold dust woman. Definately worth being exausted for school today. And I love stevies dresses, their spectacular!

[Jeff]

If they played "Don't Stop" then they ended up playing two McVie songs. She wrote that one as well, though only sang the second verse on Rumours and in concert.

[Marissa]

While I'd rather have my knuckles raked across a cheese grater than listen to (or watch) Stevie Nicks, I do like Fleetwood Mac. I know that's odd. I'm not sure how I'd handle the band sans Christine.

Per your usual fabulous form SD, the review was an awesome read.

[DDGator]

I was at the show. Love classic rock and the Mac. That said, it was good fun and brought back a lot of memories. It wasn't great. Stevie was high as a kite. She was doing a frat party drunken beer dance most of the night. Her voice was decent, but she had no energy. Lindsay, on the other hand was full of energy and showed he can still play guitar!

[Crockett]

I'm with Derek,

I'm glad the show went well, despite the poor reviews of previous shows.

Mick Fleetwood (solo) was the opener of the first concert I ever attended.

Mick Fleetwood / The Beach Boys - USF SunDome.

[Greg]

Do they give Pullitzers to pop culture writers?

[PT]

Wow! That was an excellent review.... Looking forward to seeing them next month!

[Lee]

Could you please expand on bizarro shadow thingie?

[DerekT]

Great and honest review of a classic rock act. I was hoping that after reading the review of Fleetwood Mac over on Stuck in the 80's, that Stevie was just having a bad day then, and it looks like I was right. I do wish Christine McVie was back with the band though, she sang some great tunes.